Track clearer



A. GRIGAS.

TRACK CLEARER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1. 1920.

Patented Jan. W, 1922.

1141; e/wfo a -MMJn GrLyas dul /1. o (l V60 arear ANTHONY GREG-AS, OF WORCESTER, IVIASSACEUSETTS.

TRACK CLEARER.

ieoaaie.

Application filed September To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTHONY GRIGAS, a citizen of Russia, residing at ld orcester, county of Worcester, and State of Massa chusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Track Clearer-s, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in track clearers for street railways or the like, and it is the principal object of my invention to provide a device of this character which will melt and remove the snow and ice collecting upon the rails, especially at tracks where the rails are elevated above the ground, and thus greatly facilitating the braking of trains.

A further object oi? the invention is to provide a device which can be readily and conveniently attached to any car now in use without great expense.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become clear and apparent as the description proceeds and will then be specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

The accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure illustrates the device in several views, and in this draw- 1ng:

Figure l is a side view of parts of cars equipped with a device constructed according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is an end view thereof.

Figure 3 is a top plan view taken along line 83 of Figure l, and 7 Figure at is a side view of a modified form of the device.

Cars 10 comprising the customary trucks 11 on wheels 12 adapted to travel on the rails 13 of a track have secured to their front end walls 14 by braces 15 or the like.

the shoes 16, 17 connected by a cross-brace 18 and running on the track rails on wheels 19, 20. Either two wheels may be provided for each shoe, or as shown at the left hand side of Figure 1 only one wheel 19 may be Specification of Letters Patent. Faqtgnfggd Jan, 1 9, 1?:22,

1, 1920. Serial No. 407,323.

provided for each shoe. The lower ends of the shoes are provided, as shown in Figure 2, with inner rail engagin flanges 21. Electric heaters 22 and 23 are connecting each pair of shoes and are connected by a conducting wire or .wires 24 to a source of electricity on the car or the electric current supply.

In the modification illustrated in Figure 4:, the shoes are heated by means or steam supplied through a supply pipe 25, supplying the chamber 26 formed in the shoe 2? from a source of heat carried on the train.

It will be clear that changes may be made in the construction of my device and i the arrangementof the parts forming the same without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

The device operates in the following manner:

As soon as'the heaters are connected with the heat supplying source and the car is traveling along the rails, the snow and sleet adhering to the track and making the same slippery and unsafe will melt and will then during the operation of the car be easily cleared off the rails by the pointed front ends 28 of the shoes and the flanges 21.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent oi? the United States is A truck clearer or" the character described, comprising a pair of rail engaging shoes, rigid braces for securing the shoes to a can flanges at the lower ends of said shoes engaging the inner rail flanges, points on said shoes engaging the rail head, wheels on said shoes for supporting them on the rails, electric heaters on said shoes for connecting said heaters with a source of electricity on the car, braces for securing the shoes to a car, and connections between each pair of shoes.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature ANTHONY erases, 

